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Katherine Pryde (Earth-616)
, never actually used by Kitty until , SpriteFirst used in until | Identity = Secret | Alignment = Good | Affiliation = X-Men; formerly Excalibur; S.H.I.E.L.D.; New Mutants; Gladiators | Relatives = Samuel Prydeman (paternal grandfather, deceased); Chava Rosanoff (paternal great-aunt, deceased); Mr. Rosanoff (paternal great-uncle, apparently deceased); Carmen Pryde (father, deceased); Theresa Pryde (mother); Prince William (ex-fiance); | Universe = Earth-616 | BaseOfOperations = Utopia, San Francisco Bay, California; formerly Breakworld Bullet, deep space; Graymalkin Industries, Marin Highlands, San Francisco, California; Xavier Institute for Higher Learning, Salem Center, Westchester County, New York; Muir Island, Scotland; Braddock Manor, Maldon, England; Braddock Lighthouse, England; Massachusetts Academy, Snow Valley, Massachusetts; an island in the Bermuda Triangle | Gender = Female | Height = 5'5" | Weight = 110 lbs | Eyes = Hazel | Hair = Brown | UnusualFeatures = | Citizenship = American | MaritalStatus = Single | Occupation = Teacher, adventurer, former student, super hero | Education = College Graduate | Origin = Mutant | PlaceOfBirth = Deerfield, Illinois | Creators = Chris Claremont; John Byrne | First = X-Men #129 | Quote = With my phasing power, there's no way I can be harmed. | Speaker = Shadowcat | HistoryText = Katherine "Kitty" Anne Pryde was a thirteen-and-a-half year old girl living in Deerfield, Illinois who led a normal life but then began suffering headaches of steadily increasing frequency, duration, and intensity. Unknown to her or her parents, the headaches were a result of her mutant power emerging. Early Years Meanwhile, Professor Charles Xavier, founder of the X-Men, a team of mutant adventurers whom he trained in the use of their superhuman powers, located Kitty with his device for finding superhuman mutants, Cerebro. He and three of the X-Men, Colossus, Storm, and Wolverine, set out for Deerfield to contact her and possibly recruit her as a member of the X-Men. Unknown to Prof. Xavier, the mercenary Warhawk had planted a device that enabled his employers in the Inner Circle of the Hellfire Club to monitor Cerebro's activities. The Inner Circle thus also learned about Kitty, and one of its leaders, Emma Frost, the White Queen, also went to contact her. Prof. Xavier trained superhuman mutants at his School for Gifted Youngsters, whereas Frost was headmistress of the Massachusetts Academy, where she also secretly trained young superhuman mutants such as the Hellions in the use of their powers. Hence, Prof. Xavier and Frost would each approach Pryde and her parents as the heads of private schools seeking to recruit her as a talented student. Neither Prof. Xavier nor Frost intended to reveal to Kitty's parents that their daughter was a mutant. Kitty herself was unaware that she was mutant or that she had a superhuman power until the afternoon that Frost arrived to speak to her parents. While Frost was downstairs, Kitty went to her room upstairs, suffering her worst headache ever. Lying on her bed, she closed her eyes, wishing the headache would stop. It did. Kitty opened her eyes, and, to her surprise, found herself lying on the floor of her living room. Without knowing it, Kitty had used her "phasing" power for the first time, and had passed through her bed and the floor into the room below. As Frost left, Prof. Xavier and his three X-Men arrived. The three X-Men took Kitty to a local malt shop, where Kitty and Storm began what evolved into a close friendship. Suddenly three Hellfire Club mercenaries burst into the shop and attacked the X-Men. Surprised and frightened, Kitty moved out of the way and found herself passing through the wall. Landing outside, she fell unconscious since she was still not used to utilizing her power. The White Queen used her telepathic powers to overcome the three X-Men, whom the Hellfire Club took into their hovercraft. The brave Kitty had decided to snoop around the hovercraft before it took off, and discovered the X-Men were aboard as prisoners. Unwilling to desert her new friend Storm or the others, she hid aboard the craft and used her new powers to find the captive X-Men in the Frost Industries complex to which the White Queen had taken them. Storm gave Kitty the X-Men's phone number and asked her to summon help. But one of the Hellfire Club mercenaries spotted Pryde, and the White Queen ordered her capture. Using her powers, Pryde got away long enough to phone the number. Two Hellfire Club mercenaries in a car were just about to capture Pryde in Chicago when they were halted by Phoenix, who had just arrived with her fellow X-Men Cyclops and Nightcrawler in response to Kitty's message. Phoenix found and comforted the frightened Kitty, who told her story to her and her X-Men colleagues. Pryde then helped the X-Men and their ally, the Dazzler, in rescuing their captive colleagues. Phoenix used her mental powers to calm Carmen Pryde's rage over his daughter's disappearance. X-Men Mr. and Mrs. Pryde allowed Kitty to join Prof. Xavier's school, and, during the funeral for Jean Grey, actually the Phoenix, she became the newest member of the X-Men. On Nightcrawler’s twenty-first birthday, Margali Szardos transported Kurt’s soul to a simulacrum of Dante’s hell and Dr. Strange and the X-Men followed to his rescue. Ororo christened Kitty with her first codename, Sprite, and even took her dancing at Stevie Hunter’s studio. At this time, she was replaced by her alternate timeline, older self by Rachel Summers. Thirty years in a possible future, Rachel used her psionic powers to exchange the consciousness and spirit of the adult X-Man Kate Pryde with that of Pryde's teenage self as she existed at a time just before the attempt on Senator Robert Kelly's life by the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. It was hoped that the adult Kate, in her younger self's body at that earlier time, could warn the X-Men about the assassination attempt so they could stop it, thereby preventing the chain of events from occurring that led to her dystopian future. Kitty then destroyed a N'Garai demon by herself and later was kidnapped by Caliban and for the first time battled Garokk then Magneto. Her parents then sent her to the Massachusetts Academy where Emma attacks her and Storm and after, with the X-Men, she battled the Sentinels. After Storm sensed that Arkon the Imperion was in danger, the X-Men and the Fantastic Four aided him in battling the Badoon and during a coupe, the X-Men battled the alien Brood, Deathbird, and Admiral Samedar to restore Lilandra to the Shi'ar throne. After battling in a duel between the Gamemaster and Death, Kitty saved Storm from becoming Dracula's bride, and then the six year old Illyana Rasputin, Colossus' younger sister, was kidnapped by Belasco and the X-Men followed to Limbo where Kitty is harassed by an alternate version of Nightcrawler and they rescued her. While returning to their dimension, Belasco grabbed Illyana and Kitty held her arm. She lost her grip for a few seconds and reaches back in the portal till she felt an arm and pulled out Illyana. Due to her captivity in Limbo, where she spent years while only mere moments elapsed on Earth, Illyana returned to them thirteen. Kitty's friendship with Storm was continued, but her best friend was Illyana. Soon, the Brood retaliated by implanting embryos in all of the X-Men, where Kitty met Lockheed, but Storm's new connection to an Acanti saved them all. The X-Men returned home to battle the Brood Queen that was inside of Prof. Xavier and saved his life by transplanting his mind into a cloned body. After sensing Dracula's summons, Ororo went to face him again. As the X-Men confronted Dracula over Storm, Kitty (who was angry at her parents' divorce) was temporarily possessed by Lilith and bite Piotr. Together, Kitty and Piotr attacked Storm, as she was commanded to steal the Montesi Formula for Dracula. While the X-Men battled Dracula, Kitty began to recite the Montesi Formula but was stopped. Dracula was defeated and Lilith released Kitty, thanking the X-Men for their assistance. Kitty had a crush on Colossus from the start. Peter and Kitty became close, though at the time, both were too shy to fully admit their feelings for each other. However, after surviving the threat by the alien Brood, Kitty and Peter grew closer and started to date. Lockheed Kitty quickly became a valuable member of the X-Men, so much so that Prof. Xavier retained her in the X-Men even after demoting her to his newly founded team, the New Mutants, most of whose members were closer to Kitty in age than the other X-Men were. Kitty impressed him by defeating two Sidri with the help of Lockheed. Soon after, Kitty's constant companion was the small, alien, dragon-like creature. Ariel Soon after, the X-Men encountered the underground community of mutants known as the Morlocks who had kidnapped one of their former members, Angel. After Piotr's life was in danger, Kitty promised Caliban of the Morlocks her hand in marriage, while deathly sick from Plague, in exchange for aid in saving Peter and the X-Men's life, although later Caliban released her from that vow. At this time, Kitty abandons her code-name, Sprite, for the Professor's original choice, Ariel. One problem in their relationship was that Kitty was a devout Jew and Colossus was raised as an atheist. When the X-Men later traveled to Japan to attend the wedding of their team member Wolverine, they are poisoned by Viper and Silver Samurai and after a brief battle with Mastermind, the X-Men battle the Impossible Man. While battling the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, Colossus is frozen in liquid nitrogen. While attempting to save Colossus, she is kidnapped by Callisto, who intends for her to keep her word and marry Caliban, but Caliban released her from her vow, hoping she will one day return to him of her free will, and Colossus is saved by the combined efforts of Rogue and the Morlock Healer. Kitty began spending time with her friend Doug Ramsey, another computer genius, and together, they hacked Project Wideawake files. Soon after this, even though Kitty had acted out of love to save him, Piotr started to question the time she was spending with Doug, even missing scheduled Danger Room sessions. Doug later asked Kitty to accompany him to the Massachusetts Academy, where he had received a scholarship. Believing Emma to be in a coma, she went and they are both captured by the White Queen. After the New Mutants rescued them, and because of his relationship with Zsaji, Colossus broke up with Kitty. Shadowcat Over time Kitty also grew close to the X-Man Wolverine, who became a mentor to her, while in Japan. After the break-up with Piotr, Kitty went home and found that her father was dealing with Japanese gangsters. She followed him to Japan and Kitty was captured and put under the mental control of Ogun, the ninja master who had once been Wolverine's teacher but had since become his enemy. Ogun mentally had Kitty believe that she was his daughter and had been training in the art of ninjitsu since birth. He also cut her hair shorter. Being the only X-Man to receive her call for help, Wolverine soon followed. She was sent to kill Wolverine and injured him greatly, but with help from Yukio, she was restored. Wolverine undertook a crash program to teach Kitty's body, just as Ogun had taught her mind, to become skillful enough in the Japanese martial arts to contend against Ogun. Constantly telling her that she can either train or leave, Kitty eventually realized that Wolverine was giving her a choice that Ogun denied her and she slowly began to grow out of her childish, spoiled ways. At the end of her training Kitty assumed the new code name Shadowcat, which she still uses today. Kitty went to face Ogun herself. After being defeated by Ogun, he offered her to join him or die. At that time, Wolverine came to her rescue. Sadly, Wolverine was also overwhelmed and the two of them sat helplessly at Ogun's mercy. In a turn of events, Kitty informed Wolverine that she was scared until he arrived and when he apologized, she stated that she did not want an apology, but life. At that moment, Wolverine turned the battle and defeated Ogun and Kitty regained her innocence that Ogun had taken. - The X-Men next battled Thunderbird, brother to the original Thunderbird and blaming Prof. Xavier for his brother's death, and the Hellions to rescue Banshee. To rescue Banshee, the X-Men had to infiltrate the NORAD, North American Aerospace Defense Command, and the X-Men were officially outlawed. The X-Men were later caught on camera battling the Juggernaut and Nimrod. After siding with the Juggernaut, it appeared to the public that the X-Men were aiding a felon. Kitty then, went on to rescue the Power Pack from the Morlocks and battled the Beyonder, who briefly transferred Illyana's powers to Kitty. Later, Kitty and Piotr agreed to be friends after surviving together in Murderworld and then Kitty battled the Gladiators to rescue Sunspot and Magma from their old teammate, Karma. While fighting the Gladiators, the Beyonder brought-out Illyana's dark half, the Darkchylde and she teleported her friends to Limbo and attacked them until Kitty used Illyana's Soulsword on her and returned her to her natural form. After stopping a scheme of Loki's, Kitty visited the National Holocaust Memorial with Magneto, new member of the X-Men per Prof. Xavier's request, and Kitty is amazed to learn that Magneto knew her grandaunt and that he was a hero in the death camp of Auschwitz before they are attacked by the Freedom Force. After having nightmares of Illyana being in trouble from Karnilla, the Norn Queen, the X-Men later traveled to Asgard to rescue Storm and the New Mutants from one of Loki's schemes, then battled Fenris, and later, the Beyonder again. While the X-Men rebuilt San Francisco from the battle with the Beyonder, he wiped the New Mutants out of existence and Illyana's Soulsword and armor were passed to Kitty and no one knew of the New Mutants existence until he brought them back. At this time, the X-Men stayed with Jessica Drew and Kitty accompanied David Ishima to a date. Upon their return, the X-Men were beaten by Freedom Force and about to be taken-in, until the intervention of Officer Bree Morrell, and the X-Men returned to New York. While the X-Men searched for a severely wounded Phoenix, after Wolverine stabbed her in the chest, they were attacked by Nimrod and formed an alliance with the Hellfire Club. Later, Kitty re-calibrated Cerebro for non telepaths to use to search for Nightcrawler and Phoenix and Kitty, Piotr, and Magik rescued a weakened Nightcrawler from a gang. After being turned to X-Babies by Mojo, the X-Men battled the New Mutants until they were broken of their brainwashing and defeated the spineless one, Mojo. The X-Men, later, attempted to rescue the Morlocks during the indiscriminate massacre by the Marauders and the Marauder, called Harpoon, seriously injured the phased Shadowcat with his energy spear, as she leaped between him and Rogue. It also adversely affected Kitty's powers so that she could no longer regain her solidity, and gradually began to dissipate. Kitty was sent to recover on Muir Island. Kitty's condition began to worsen and she was in danger of completely dissipating. Unwilling to watch her die, Magneto went to Reed Richards (Mr. Fantastic) of the Fantastic Four to use a device that Mr. Fantastic had built. Unsure of the outcome, Mr. Fantastic refused to help Kitty, even after the X-Men begged him, and the X-Men and Fantastic Four briefly battled. At that time, Dr. Doom presented his assistance and, under duress, Storm accepted. While having Psylocke mentally keep her mind together, Mr. Fantastic reconsidered and travedled to Latveria, where the X-Men intially battled the Fantastic Four again. At the urging of Franklin Richards, Kitty was cured by the combined efforts of Dr. Doom and Mr Fantastic. Excalibur Subsequently, Shadowcat became a founding member of the new British-based team of adventurers Excalibur. During this time, Kitty was deeply affected by Illyana's death from the Legacy Virus. Kitty eventually became romantically involved with her teammate Peter Wisdom. Later, G. W. Bridge, the acting commander of the international law enforcement agency S.H.I.E.L.D., recruited Kitty Pryde to become a temporary S.H.I.E.L.D. agent. Bridge explained that the computer system of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s flying headquarters, the helicarrier, was failing to recognize any user but her. Pryde soon learned that this was because the spirit of the late Ogun had taken control of the S.H.I.E.L.D. helicarrier's computer system. Pryde succeeded in defeating Ogun and, with Wolverine's aid, S.H.I.E.L.D. regained control of the helicarrier computers. Shadowcat has subsequently returned to Excalibur, where she has continued to be a valued member of the team. When Excalibur disbanded, Shadowcat returned to the United States and the X-Men. Following the tragic death of Colossus, and too many loved ones before him, Kitty left the team to find a new way to help realize Xavier's dream of peaceful coexistence between man and mutant. That road led her to a life away from the front lines of genetic conflict at Robert Heinlein University, where she would be free to pursue her own destiny. Life away from the X-Men only lasted so long. While studying computer science, her father died in the Sentinel attack on Genosha. Attacking another who was spouting anti-mutant sentiments, she was placed in therapy. Soon after, the Purity anti-mutant group attempted sabotage on-campus, and evolving Sentinels attacked. Kitty defeated both threats with the help of Karma and Shola Inzeki. Kitty then became involved with Storm's X-Men squad, once again facing William Stryker. Storm then requested her help in fighting Elias Bogan and his mysterious telepath who ended up being Kitty's lost friend Rachel Summers. Astonishing X-Men Shortly thereafter, Scott Summers and Emma Frost took over the Xavier Institute. Kitty accepted a spot on Cyclops' squad, while also teaching at the school. She was reluctant, as her dealings with Ms. Frost in the past were anything but friendly. Yet, in their investigation of a claimed cure for mutants, Shadowcat discovered the very much alive Colossus being used as a test subject. After a bit of initial awkwardness, Kitty and Peter resumed dating and finally consummated their relationship. Mental projections created by a piece of Cassandra Nova's consciousness which had been lodged in Emma's mind utilized Emma's telepathy to orchestrate Nova's escape from the Stuff body. Kitty personally took down Frost and imprisoned her, only to fall under a telepathic delusion. Under this delusion, Kitty was made to believe that she and Colossus had conceived a child which was later taken away by the X-Men because its potential mutant abilities were supposedly dangerous. Kitty reacted in the delusion by attempting to rescue the child from a near-inescapable "box" in the depths of the school, unaware that in reality she was freeing Stuff, who contained the trapped consciousness of Cassandra Nova. Kitty collapsed immediately afterward, driven to unconsciousness after Nova tried to transfer her mind into Kitty's body from from Emma's body. Later, Kitty was with a group of X-Men taken to the planet Breakworld by Abigail Brand of S.W.O.R.D. Kitty was phased into an enormous bullet that was launched toward earth by the inhabitants of Breakworld. In a heroic gesture, Kitty phased the entire bullet through the planet and out the other side. She may have been permanently fused to the bullet and was presumed dead. S.W.O.R.D. managed to keep track of the giant bullet using a satellite which fell into the bullet's orbit. Because the bullet's design was to harden as time went on, it became increasingly difficult to break the bullet open. When some asteroid travellers wandered into the bullet's path it looked like the bullet was going to destroy the thousands of lifeforms on the asteroids, but the bullet phased through them - revealing Kitty to be alive. A few months after that, Magneto went to the top of Mount Tamalpais and used his powers to bring her back to Earth, but was nearly killed by that act. When Kitty Pryde was about to hug Colossus, she phased through him and couldn't talk. She is currently in a containment unit to ensure that she can be restored to her state prior to when she was taken to Breakworld. | Powers = Shadowcat is a mutant. Phasing: Shadowcat possessed the ability to pass through solid matter by passing her atoms through the spaces between the atoms of the object through which she was moving. In this way she and the object through which she was passing could temporarily merge without interacting, and each was unharmed when Shadowcat had finished passing through the object. This process was called "phasing." When Shadowcat was phasing, she was, for all intents ad purposes, intangible. Hence, when attacked, she could shift into a "phasing" state (even if she was not at the time passing through an object) so as to allow oncoming projectiles or energy blasts to pass through her harmlessly. Shadowcat passed through objects at the same rate of speed at which she was moving before she "entered" it. She trained herself to go automatically, by reflex, into a phasing state at any indication of danger, such as a loud noise like a gunshot, in order to protect herself. *''Air Walking:'' Using her phasing ability, Shadowcat could walk on air. In fact, she could use her ability to walk on the air from the ground to the upper stories of a building as if she were climbing a staircase. *''Phasing Extension:'' From the first use of her phasing power, Shadowcat was able to phase her clothing along with herself. Through practice she learned to phase other objects along with herself without harm to them, and at one point phased an entire X-Men team. She could also enable someone as big as Colossus to "walk on air" along with her. However, she had to maintain physical contact with the people or objects she phased along with herself for the effect to work with this other person or object. *''Electrical Disruption:'' She could phase through any material object, even living people. When she phased through an object with an electrical system, the process disrupted the system's workings. *''Telepathic Resistance:'' Her thoughts were highly erratic when phased as if there was no mind to telepathically affect. | Abilities = Expert Martial Artist: Shadowcat possessed moderate expertise of the martial arts of the Japanese ninja and samurai. Shadowcat demonstrated great knowledge of ninja methods of combat when she was mentally possessed by the Ronin Ogun. With the possession over, Shadowcat forgot the knowledge of ninja techniques he gave her, but she retained the knowledge of Oriental methods of combat taught her by Wolverine. Dance Training: She continued to take dance training under the tutelage of Stevie Hunter, and was highly agile. Genius-level Computer Expert: Shadowcat was an expert in the field of computer science, demonstrating genius-level aptitude for programming, modifying, and diagnosing almost any computer system: even those of unfamiliar human and extraterrestrial origin. She used her skills in many high-stress combat situations to great effect, and in combination with her mutant ability to disrupt electrical systems she was a formidable foe for any enemy relying on advanced technology. She was the equal and peer of her former hacking partner Cypher (deceased) whose mutant gift for languages granted him superhuman skill in the same field. Multi-lingual: She also fluently spoke Japanese, Russian, Shi'ar, Skrull, and German. (Most, if not all of these, were learned telepathically; her use of Skrull, at least, was used briefly after being learned and then not mentioned again.) | Strength = Normal human female with moderate regular exercise. | Weaknesses = Mystical Vulnerability: While phasing Shadowcat was still vulnerable to mystical attack, however. Phasing Limitations: Since she was unable to breathe while "inside" an object, she could only continuously phase through solid objects (as when she traveled underground) as long as she could hold her breath. Denser materials were more difficult for Kitty to phase through, sometimes causing her pain. Solidifying while in an object could cause serious injury if not death. | Equipment = | Transportation = Kitty often traveled with the X-Men in their modified SR-71 Blackbird. | Weapons = Wolverine gave Kitty a broken piece of his bone claws. On certain occasions she carried it. | Notes = | Trivia = *Kitty Pryde was Jewish. Cultural memories of the Holocaust made her especially sensitive to anti-mutant prejudice. *Under the delusion implanted by Emma Frost, she and Peter had a son named Micheal. (sic?) *John Byrne named Shadowcat/Kitty Pryde after a classmate he met in art school in Calgary in 1973.http://solo23.abac.com/thecatbox/interview.html http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120903/trivia *Kitty Pryde is mentioned in the Weezer song "In the Garage": :I've got the Dungeon Master's Guide :I've got a twelve-sided die :I've got Kitty Pryde :And Nightcrawler too :Waiting there for me :Yes I do, I do *Shadowcat is also mentioned in the song "Missing Link" by Dinosaur Jr and Del the Funky Homosapien from the soundtrack for the movie Judgment Night: "Bowing, praising, now when I phase in, like Kitty Pryde, city wide, confer to kick the rumor..." *In the Spike Lee's film 25th Hour, Edward Norton's character expresses his desire to avoid prison by stating he wishes he was "that girl from X-Men... the one who can walk through walls" *Kitty Pryde and the Shadowcats was the name of an all-female band that existed for several years in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. *Shadowcat has gone through many costumes along with other aliases. Originally joined as Kitty Pryde and adopted the codename Sprite. Soon after she went through many masks (even roller skates) and ended up with the codename Ariel. She did not go by Shadowcat (originally) until Wolverine trained her while in Japan. *The three actresses that portrayed Shadowcat in the X-Men Trilogy are all from Canada. *Kitty Pryde is mentioned in the ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead song, "An Ounce Of Prevention". *The main reason for Colossus and Kitty breaking up was due to Jim Shooter disapproving of their age differences. | Links = * Kitty Pryde Comic Books * X-Men * Colossus (Piotr Rasputin) * Excalibur * Cypher * Religious Affiliation of Comics Book Characters : Shadowcat * Marvel Directory * UncannyXmen.net, Spotlight feature on Shadowcat * Open directory listing for Shadowcat }} References Category:198 Mutants Category:Jewish Category:Excalibur members Category:New Mutants members Category:SHIELD members Category:X-Men members Category:Intangibility Category:Telepathic Immunity Category:Disruption Category:Computer Hacking Skills Category:Martial Arts Category:Dancing Category:Utopians Category:Multilingual Category:Ninjas